Our President & CEO Kazuhiro Goto took the stage as a speaker at an online workshop where students from around the world participated.
Organized by Honda Mobilityland Corporation, the Honda Mobilityland Youth Innovation Awards 2026 was a global innovation challenge where students from Japan and abroad presented their concepts for the future of motorsports.
On January 18, 2026, an online workshop was held for registered students from across the globe. The purpose of this workshop was to help students refine their proposals and expose them to global insights.
The start of the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, operated by Honda Mobilityland
(Photo credit: Honda Mobilityland Corporation)
Students and Instructors Participated from Around the World
The most prominent feature of this event was its diversity. Despite the differences in time zones, ambitious students and instructors from universities worldwide connected online, engaging in a dialogue that transcended national borders.
Workshop Speakers:
・Ms. Altair Lee, UC Berkeley 2025 ROAR Ambassador
・Dr. Chih-Wei Chen (Austin), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
・Dr. Didem Gürdür Broo, Associate Senior Lecturer, Department of Information Technology, Division of Computer Systems, Uppsala University
・Mr. Kazuhiro Goto, Founder & CEO, D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd.
・Dr. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara, Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) / SKY Labo
・Dr. Mike Hugh, Director, Stanford Program in Kyoto
Cooperating Institutions:
・Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages (Japan)
・Institute of Science Tokyo (Japan)
・National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Taiwan)
・Seoul National University, Rise Program (South Korea)
・Stanford Program in Kyoto (Japan)
・University of California, Berkeley, ROAR Program (USA)
・Uppsala University, Cyber-Physical Systems Lab (Sweden)
President Goto’s Lecture: Personal Experience in Founding a Company
Our company’s President Goto was one of the main speakers of the workshop and delivered a lecture on the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Lecture Content
He shared accounts from his own student days, how they became pivotal moments in his life, and how they connected to his current career and the future.
Exchange with Students
Following the lecture, many questions were submitted through the online meeting platform. From topics such as “how to maintain motivation” to “ways of thinking that are not bound by preconceived notions”, President Goto was deeply impressed by the students’ future-minded and earnest attitudes.
Two Tracks (Judging Criteria) for Creating the Future
Students will compete in innovation along the following two criteria:
Track A: Fan Travel Innovation Challenge
Making travel to Suzuka Circuit fun, convenient, and sustainable (utilizing carbon credits, imagining transportation methods for the year 2050, etc.)
Track B: Fan Engagement Challenge
Expanding the appeal of motorsports to unfamiliar audiences using social media, AR/VR, gamification, etc.
(Photo credit: Honda Mobilityland Corporation)
Backstage with the Project Team
Behind the scenes, the project team assembled from around the world—including the Honda Mobilityland secretariat—supported the smooth operation of the event. One team member named Altair Lee, a high school senior who also serves as the student representative for the Robot Open Autonomous Racing (ROAR) program at the University of California, Berkeley, was not only an event planner and emcee, but was also on the judging panel for this event.
The project team had meticulously prepared every detail, including providing simultaneous interpretation throughout the event.
The Road to the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix
Selection for this award will take place during February, and the winning teams from Tracks A and B will be invited to the final stage: a presentation on the Fan Zone stage at the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix held in late March. Our company believes that the free thinking of these students will transform the future of motorsports, and we will continue to support their passionate and adventurous spirits.
Event webpage:
https://www.f1gp.jp/youthinnovation2026_en
Press release (page only in Japanese)
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000255.000023355.html
